Flavour trends in Tlilxochitl(tea-so-shill)

Patrick Dunphy, PhD, MRSC,

Vanilla Consultant

Macbeth: Act IV. Scene I

The agenda: A personalised perspective

• The current position on curing in the vanilla area

• Developments in our understanding of vanilla curing

• Control and management of vanilla curing

• The status of vanilla aroma in Vanilla species

• The status of vanilla taste

• Opportunities for aroma and taste in both vanilla curing and in natural based flavours

The global vanilla growing regions

Two species of the Genus of commercial significance:

Vanilla planifolia

Vanilla tahitensis

Madagascar produces in excess of 85% of world output

Recent background in vanilla curing

• Over the last few years there has been a gradual decline in the quality of cured vanilla beans and recently a big price hike

• This is reflected primarily in reduced levels of vanillin; a good indicator of curing performance

• Best practices of vanilla curing have been relaxed in Madagascar as indicated in part by, uncontrolled curing by farmers combined with vacuum packing of these beans followed by subsequent final curing without the bean processing history known or considered

• There is a need to refocus the curing operation and take control/manage the process from start to finish

Vacuum packed beansRipe beans

Traditional curing of whole vanilla beans

(Takes >100 days. Lack of process management wrt temperature/time and optimisation)

Traditional vs controlled curing: An appraisal

Advantages• Produces a “traditional”, recognised, flavour from whole beans• Limited capital equipment requirements

Disadvantages• Generally low vanillin yield related to poor gluco-vanillin conversion• Lack of control of temperature/time for key process stages • Lacks process flexibility in terms of flavour control & direction• Labour intensive operation• Dependent on local weather conditions for key curing stages• Variability in final product quality

Controlled/alternative curingThis is an operation where each of the process stages are defined in terms of product state with temperature/time optimisation and monitoring. Provides opportunities for flexibility in flavour formation

Traditional curing

Schematic of a controlled curing process for vanilla beans

Pre-treatment:• Hot water blanch; Freeze/thaw• Temperature/time control

Fermentation:• Controlled t/T• Gas atmosphere

Tissue state:• Whole, cuts, puree• Aqueous extract

Conditioning:Boxed at ambient:Moisture content

20-25%

Oven drying

Sun drying

Moisture content ca.80%

[Controlled curing has realised >50%increase in vanillin content and greater product uniformity]

http://www.badassgamerblog.com/industiral-oven.htmlhttp://www.badassgamerblog.com/industiral-oven.htmlhttp://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCOmi1Ijp0cgCFUVcGgodajAKDg&url=http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2010/08/04/the-freeze-thaw-method-of-technology-integration/&psig=AFQjCNFAAOXQII0QwMi9AzDYN9rq35Yq1Q&ust=1445456938287667http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCOmi1Ijp0cgCFUVcGgodajAKDg&url=http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2010/08/04/the-freeze-thaw-method-of-technology-integration/&psig=AFQjCNFAAOXQII0QwMi9AzDYN9rq35Yq1Q&ust=1445456938287667

Status of vanilla aroma in cured vanilla species

In Vanilla planifolia there are 25+compounds describing aroma.The ratios vary depending on growingconditions and processing

Mexican cured V. planifolia beans

In V. tahitensis there are additionally tothe above anisaldehyde, anisyl alcohol and acetate

Status of vanilla taste in cured vanilla species

Little known in this area until the work of Schwarz & Hofmann[J. Agric. Food Chem., 57, (2009), 3729-3737]

Isolated 5 new velvety mouth-coating compounds from cured but notripe, green, Madagascan vanilla beans

Opportunities for aroma and taste in controlled vanilla curing

By taking control of the curing operation possiblities exist to:• Produce more uniformity in the final flavour profiles e.g. [vanillin]• Direct the curing operation towards specific families of compounds

e.g. separate phenolic aroma compound formation from taste compounds formation

• Exploitation of extraction/separation techniques such as SCFCO2, other solvents and combinations as alternatives to EtOH/water to provide novel enriched vanilla fractions

Opportunities for aroma and taste in natural based flavours

Current knowledge of aroma and taste compounds in cured vanillabeans can facilitate:

• Natural vanilla flavours, both aroma and taste, to mimic the 7 main geographical origins

• Aroma and taste flavour groups or blocks providing the flavouristwith palates from which to create novel flavour directions

Summary

Opportunities exist to:

• Control the curing process to achieve greater efficiency and uniformity as well as the flexibility to direct the process to specific flavour end-points

• Exploit further the geographical and species diversity of vanilla to expand the range of extracts available

• Use the new range of vanilla taste compounds, and combinations with aroma compounds, to provide new palates for the flavourist

• Utilise separation techniques, as adjuncts to EtOH/water, to develop enriched flavour fractions

The Indian Ocean, Antalaha, Madagascar